Heather Morgan
The number of people with chronic conditions is rising. Consequently, finding new ways of providing effective and cost-efficient health services is becoming increasingly important. New health technologies might help, but little is known about how they are currently used, what works and why.
This project will investigate how health services support people living with chronic conditions, like diabetes and asthma, by using apps and wearable devices, such as NHS couch to 5k, NHS Resp Assist, Fitbits, Jawbones, AppleHealth or other prototypes. By gathering the evidence from within a global literature, the kinds of technologies and approaches that show promise, and the details around how they are used, will be reviewed. The findings of this research will then be shared with policymakers and commissioners at an interactive workshop to discuss potential strategies for taking health care forward.
The project has a Twitter account @selfhealthtech where members of the public can follow progress and comment. I am also working closely with colleagues across a range of disciplines who are interested in new health technologies, to develop a programme of research in this emerging area.